Failed Logic
by TheEverHummingGirl
Summary: A series of ficlets featuring Deryn, Alek, and various other characters.
1. Who Invited You?

**So, I've read a lot of Leviathan fanfics that are a series of one-shots and I decided to try my hand at writing some of my own.**

**This one is a remix of the 'Lilit interruption' at the consulate party toward the end of Goliath.**

**If anyone spots any glaring grammatical errors, please let me know.**

**I don't own the Leviathan Trilogy. If I did it would have been more than a trilogy…**

_"I'm busy talkin' to this guy_  
><em>When I see outta the corner of my eye...<em>  
><em>Look who's here, how you doin'.<em>  
><em>Why don't you tell me who let you in?"<em>

_-Who Invited You by The Donnas_

All she had wanted was to say goodbye to Alek in peace. It was hard enough without some form of interruption or other. If it wasn't Dr. Barlow it was Volger,

and if it wasn't Volger it was another nameless dignitary who wanted a moment with His Serene Highness. It was quite tiresome.

Deryn couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief when they were finally left alone. She opened her mouth to speak but Alek beat her to it.

"There's someone coming this way that looks like they would very much like to speak with you," he said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Deryn risked a peak over her shoulder and looked positively horrified. "Lilit." She scowled in her direction. "Who invited her?"


	2. Up With the Birds

**I looked up the name Deryn a few days ago and this is the result.**

**If anyone spots any glaring grammatical errors, please let me know.**

**Thank you to my reviewers:**

**_Julia456_ for the pointers and review**

**_EllieStone _for the review**

**I don't own the Leviathan Trilogy. If I did it would have been more than a trilogy…**

"_My arms turn wings_

_Oh those clumsy things_

_Send me up to that wonderful world"_

_Up with the Birds – Coldplay_

They were topside indulging in a rare moment of quiet. The air was warm, a welcome change from the previous frigid Russian temperatures.

"Deryn," Alek said.

"Yes?" She answered, eyes closed as she basked in the sunlight.

"What does your name mean?"

She cracked an eye and looked at him with a smile. "It means 'Bird'."

He smiled back and squeezed her hand affectionately. "It's no wonder you're meant to be in the air."


	3. Impact Validity

**I was rereading chapter 29 of Goliath and came up with this.**

Deryn had been glaring daggers at Eddie Malone ever since Villa had discovered him eavesdropping outside of the medical tent. The intrepid journalist was still regaling the general with his stories.

She was getting barking tired of hearing about his adventures in the world of reporting and growing more irritated by the minute. It was as if fate was conspiring against her and no matter how hard she tried someone new discovered her secret at every turn.

Alek, who was still sitting at her side like the faithful friend that he was, could almost see the wheels in her head turning. He wondered what she could possibly be thinking; though he could guess from the dark scowl that graced her usually cheerful face.

Malone soon had his eager eyes back on Deryn. "Now, Miss Sharp," He began, pulling out a notebook and pencil. "Would you care to give a statement or two? Being the daughter of the famous Artemis Sharp I'm sure everyone will be eager to know what exactly led you to join the Air Service."

Deryn shrugged with her good shoulder and looked resigned. "I suppose I could. The whole story is going to come out whether I want it to or not."

Alek was surprised and immediately suspicious when Deryn agreed without so much as batting an eye. He knew his friend well enough to know that that sort of defeatist attitude was out of character for her.

Malone looked pleased at the prospect of getting his story and moved to sit on a crate near Deryn's cot.

Too near Alek realized belatedly.

Eddie Malone had barely settled himself when Deryn's fist shot out and caught him square in the nose.

Alek winced, knowing from past experience how painful in was to be on the receiving end of a punch from an angry Deryn Sharp. He couldn't say he felt sorry for the man, though.

Malone gave a startled yelp and crashed backwards into the dirt while Bovril stared wide eyed from his perch on the edge of the bed. "Barking spiders!" The little beastie exclaimed.

Deryn would have taken another swing at Malone if not for Alek leaping up to restrain her for fear she would injure herself further.

"Please, Deryn. You're in no condition to fight." He reminded her as Dr. Azuela checked the stitches in her arm to ensure that they were still in place.

Deryn looked satisfied though she was hardly finished. "You bum-rag." She growled at Malone as he picked himself up off the ground. "What makes you think I would tell you one sodding thing about my life?"

"It was worth a try." Eddie Malone grinned, picking himself up. "If you all will excuse me, I believe I have some writing to do." He vigorously pumped General Villa's hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Sir." He declared before nodding in Deryn's direction. "Good afternoon Miss Sharp." Then he disappeared through the canvas flap.

Alek was glad he still had a good hold on Deryn or else she would have been out the tent flap after Malone, injuries be damned. Instead she was forced to settle for some good old fashioned swearing; satisfying though not the least bit effective.


	4. Brotherly Comfort

**Wow. I've managed to write something, thought it's not as long as I would have liked. I do have more chapters in the works, about twelve. That and school should keep me plenty busy over the summer.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Jaspert because there really isn't enough fan fiction about him and he's pretty much the most awesome older brother anyone could ask for. Without him, Deryn wouldn't have gotten into the air service or met Alek. There's a tragic thought.**

**Since the books never said how much older Jaspert is than Deryn I'm winging. He's supposed to be three and she's about six months old, making him two and a half years older.**

**I've discovered that I can't write young children for crap so if anything sounds odd that's the reason.**

**Does anyone happen to know what a baby bed was called in 1914, if was called anything different. I just went with crib but I could be completely wrong about that.**

**And as always, ****if anyone spots any glaring grammatical errors, please let me know.**

_"A brother shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams."  
>*<em>

_"A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life."  
>-Isadora James<br>*_

Jaspert crawled out of bed, his bare feet hitting the chilly floor soundlessly as he crossed the room to the crib where Deryn lay. It was late and the entire house had been as dark and silent as a tomb for hours. He had been awakened by his baby sister's quiet whimpers and immediately scrambled out from under his warm blankets to check on her.

In one hand Jaspert clutched his stuffed lizard. It had shiny black button eyes and was made of bright green velvet that faded to turquoise as it reached the tail. Da had picked it up for him on one of his many balloon trips to London. It was exactly like the lizards used to carry messages on the huge ships in the air service, or so Da had told him. The stuffed fabrication was Jaspert's pride and joy, going everywhere with the small boy.

When he reached the crib, Jaspert gripped the bars and hauled himself up, lizard held firmly between his teeth. Leaning over the top rail, he dropped the toy beside Deryn and patted her lovingly on the head.

"It's alright," He said, repeating what Ma always said whenever he or Deryn cried. "I'm here. Don't cry."

She calmed, immediately recognizing the comforting sound of her brother's voice. Her hands reaching out, wee fingers stretching towards him in the moonlight. Jaspert held out his own hand and she grasped it, making happy baby noises.

Jaspert loved his little sister dearly. When Ma and Da had first told him he was going to be a big brother he had nearly driven them mad with his endless questions of when the baby would arrive. They finally had to explain to him that babies took time and that he would have to wait nine months. That seemed like an awfully long time for a lonely, impatient little boy to wait.

Jaspert hadn't been quite sure just how long nine months was, but judging the amount of time it had taken Deryn to arrive, it was very nearly forever.

He hadn't cared if the baby was a boy or a girl; though secretly Jaspert had hoped for a girl. A little sister would need an older brother like Jaspert to teach her all the important things there were to know about life. A little brother might already know all those things on his own.

He stroked Deryn's pale hair.

"I'm going to show you how do all kinds of boy things." He promised seriously.

She squealed her approval, stuffing one foot in her mouth and chewing on her toes.

Jaspert continued chattering on, talking about mud pies, worms, and anything else that made sense to his three-year old mind. Eventually, Deryn's blue eyes began to drift shut. The sound of Jaspert's voice was making her sleepy, as comforting as any of Ma's lullabies. She yawned and rubbed at her eyes with a tiny fist. Jaspert noticed this and slid down from where he'd been clinging to the bars. He planted a kiss on the palm of his hand and patted it onto one of Deryn's round cheeks. Then he pulled up the blanket that she had kicked off and placed his stuffed lizard beside to her.

"You can have him tonight." He said with a yawn of his own. "Sweet dreams, Deryn."

Jaspert sleepily crawled back to his own bed and slipped beneath the covers. He was soon sound asleep, dreaming of their adventures yet to come.


	5. Parents: 1

**It's another shorter chapter. **

**This is my entry for Dalek week, Day one: Parents. **

**Dalek week can be found here on DA: alek-and-deryn dot deviantart dot com/gallery/32077681**

**Why is it when there's home work to be done or a test to study for everything becomes more interesting? I should be doing both but instead I'm posting this. It can't be helped I suppose; I started writing when I was eleven years old and haven't stopped yet.**

**I wanted to do something from Deryn or Alek's parent's POV so I wrote this. I might do a second part to this - someday.**

_"Beginnings are usually scary and endings are usually sad, but it's everything in between that makes it all worth living."_

_Sandra Bullock – Hope Floats_

_Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things you can't see. -Unknown_

Franz and Sophie sat on a bench in Regent's Park. A little ways off Deryn and Alek stood in the shade of one of the many large trees scattered about. Deryn was pointing out different sights, talking enthusiastically the entire time.

Sophie smiled wistfully.

"It's good to see him so happy." She said, looking at Alek.

Franz wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Yes," He agreed. "I so was worried about him. His life took such a terrible turn so quickly and he was so unprepared; I was afraid he might never recover properly."

The Archduke and Princess watched Alek as he nearly doubled over with laughter at something Deryn had said to him.

Sophie pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of her dress and dabbed at her eyes.

"We don't have to worry any longer. Volger and his men may have ensured Alek's survival, but it's because of Deryn that he's living again." She said. "Meeting her was the best thing that could have happened to him. She was exactly what he needed. "

Franz smiled lovingly at his wife.

"Not so different from you and me. Alek simply had to find his own way in life, no matter what we tried to choose for him. "

Sophie dabbed at her eyes once more before placing the handkerchief back into her pocket.

"He's going to be alright now." She stated with a smile. "She has given him a reason to keep going."

They stood and Franz offered an arm to Sophie. She took it and together they walked away across the wide expanse of grass.


	6. Roaring 20's

**Here is my entry for the second day of Dalek week. I've discovered that the closer it gets to each day's deadline the more writing inspiration I have. Go figure. **

**This takes place around ten years after Goliath.**

**I imagine that the dance Deryn and Alek are trying to learn is the Charleston. I looked it up on youtube and it really looks like a fun dance.**

"_Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. "  
>― Dave Barry<em>

Deryn looked down at her feet trying to keep the dance steps sorted in her mind. They were turning out to be barking tricky.

She pulled a face as she accidently brought her foot down on Alek's for the third time in as many minutes.

Out of all the things she'd ever done dancing had to be the trickiest. And this dance in particular seemed to be getting the best of her. It was new, popular, and had too many fancy steps. Of course Alek had been the one who had wanted to learn it and Deryn was now humoring him.

It wasn't as if she had no practice with dancing. Deryn's Ma and aunties had made dead sure she knew the basics.

Deryn gave a startled cry as she put a foot down wrong and managed to get in tangled with Alek's bringing both of them crashing to the floor.

"Barking spiders," She swore loudly, rubbing at a bruised elbow.

Alek sat up laughing.

"Who would have thought you could be so clumsy. You are usually so light on your feet." He teased as he leaned over to kiss Deryn.

"I thought this would be easier, seeing as how we both know how to dance. Remember the New Year's party?

Deryn rolled her eyes.

"Aye, we danced but we were in a closet and we were both a bit drunk."

She laughed.

"Actually, I'm surprised you could move at all, considering what you were wearing."

It was Alek's turn to roll his eyes.

"That embarrassing ordeal was entirely your fault. Besides, I thought girls were supposed to be good at dancing."

Deryn raised an eyebrow.

"Careful, Mr. Hohenburg; that kind of blether is what landed you in that 'embarrassing ordeal' in the first place."

Alek pretended to look thoughtful.

"I shall remember that in the future, Mrs. Hohenburg." He said with a smile.

He stood and extended a hand. Deryn took it and he pulled her to her feet.

"Now, why don't we try those dance steps again?"

Deryn groaned dramatically.


	7. Blindfold: 1

**Here's my entry for the third day of Dalek week, Blindfold.**

**I decided to do something figurative. **

_I walk around blindfolded  
>Talk, I'm not listening<br>I read through a thousand books  
>But forgot everything.<br>-Blindfold, The Classic Crime_

Alek sat down heavily on the edge of his bunk. He was angry, hurt, and more than a little embarrassed.

He gripped the edge of the bed in an attempt to steady himself. It felt as if the room were tilting, skewed to one side.

How could he not have known that his best friend was actually a girl? Perhaps he had always known and simply hadn't wanted to admit it to himself. Denial _was_ a powerful thing. Though, after tonight's awful revelation things were jarringly and painfully clear. It was as if a blindfold had suddenly been ripped away from his eyes.

Alek tried to figure out what exactly had upset him so much about learning Deryn's secret. Was he embarrassed because he hadn't realized what she was? Because she hadn't trusted him enough to tell him her secret of her own free will? That she had lied to him? Or, that she let it slip that she was in love with him? It was a little of everything he supposed.

He raked his fingers through his hair and then leaned down to remove his boots. Taking first one and then the other he threw them as hard as could at his cabin door. They hit the fabricated wood with loud thumps. It didn't make him feel any better. If anything he felt worse; alone and betrayed by everyone around him.

He was ashamed to admit it but what Alek wanted at the moment was his mother. And for the happiness and security he'd possessed only hours before, afforded by the blindfold that ignorance provided.

He lay down, eyes stinging, heart breaking, determined not shed a tear. He was _sixteen_ for heaven's sake. He was a man.

However, the day's frustrations and anger coupled with the grief and stress of the past few months had taken their toll on him and he could no longer contain the emotions he had tried so hard to hide.

Against his better judgment and to his eternal shame Alek cried himself to sleep.


	8. Summer Afternoons

**Here's my entry for the fourth day of Dalek week, Summer Afternoons. **

**It features Deryn being Deryn, Alek being Alek, and Volger being a third wheel. As for Bovril, he's taking a nap, where I don't know.  
><strong> 

_I wanna be bad  
>You make bad look so good<br>I'm losing all my cool  
>I'm about to break the rules<br>I wanna be bad  
>- I Wanna be Bad – Willa Ford<em>

It was a lovely summer afternoon in London and Deryn and Alek had just come back from the local ice cream shop. It was only a few blocks away from the townhouse that Alek had shared with Count Volger ever since he had gone to work for the Zoological society.

Deryn lived with Dr. Barlow.

The two were enjoying their ice cream at the small table on the stone porch that overlooked the back garden.

It had been Deryn's idea to go out for something to eat. Alek had of course eaten ice cream many times but never from a public shop.

It had not, however, been Deryn idea to wear a dress on their outing; that had been Alek's. She had put up a fair bit of a fight when he'd suggested it, but as Alek had pointed out; if she wore the dress they could hold hands in public without fear of being arrested. So she had grudgingly gone home to change into the only other dress she owned besides the one she'd worn to the New Year's party.

Deryn glanced over at Alek who was seated next to her.

"So, your princliness," She asked. "How is it? As good as any of those fancy desserts you used to have?"

Alek took another bite before he answered.

"It's quite good. I think I rather like being a commoner."

Deryn had to smile at his statement.

"If only for the ice cream." She added.

Alek nodded seriously.

"Yes," He agreed. "If only for the ice cream."

There was snort from across the table and they both turned to where Count Volger sat, his nose buried in the latest news paper that Dr. Barlow had given him.

The Count insisted on making a nuisance of himself every time Deryn and Alek were in danger of being alone with one another. It was sodding annoying, and it was spoiling Deryn's afternoon.

"Have something to barking add to the conversation? She asked, her patients wearing thin.

Volger's eyes flicked toward her for a moment before dropping back to the page in front of him.

"Not at the moment, Miss Sharp."

Alek let out a muffled laugh. It was always like this whenever the count and Deryn where around each other; it was amusing to watch. Alek wondered if the two would ever get along.

Deryn rolled her eyes, trying to resist the urge to snatch the man's paper away and beat him senseless with it.

Alek leaned over to her and whispered, "He always behaves that way, you know. Besides, I think he's just trying to wind you up. He doesn't seem to like you all that much."

Her eyes narrowed. There had to be some way to be rid of the man.

Her eyes fell on Alek. He had a bit of melted ice cream on his cheek and that gave her an idea. Leaning over she grasped him by the collar of his shirt. Pulling him toward her, she kissed him; then licked the smear of chocolate from his face.

Alek gave her a confused look.

"What was that for?" He asked.

She sat back in her chair satisfied.

"You had a bit on your face." She explained.

There was an annoyed snap of a newspaper as Volger folded it. Then he stood, glaring at the two before retreating into the house.

A look of understanding dawned on Alek's face.

"Ah, you were just trying to get rid of him; quite clever." He said, looking slightly disappointed.

Deryn took Alek's ice cream from him and set it on the table followed by her own. Then she sat down on his lap.

"Aye, if I'd known that was all it took I'd have kissed you sooner." She paused, running her fingers through his thick auburn hair. "Not that I need a reason to kiss you." She added.

Alek wrapped his arms around her, smiling.

"It really is enjoyable, being out here with you."

She leaned her forehead against his and smiled.

"Kissing aside, it's perfect, isn't it?"

Alek laughed and tightened his arms around her.

There is always plenty of time for kissing, liebe. Though Volger is most likely keeping a watchful eye on us from inside the house."

Deryn rolled her eyes.

"Let him sodding watch. We're in love."

Then she kissed him.


	9. Potatoes

**Dalek week, Bonus: Potatoes**

**Adorkable Alek is adorkable.**

**Inspired by a funny little picture I found online a few weeks ago.**

_A drawing is always dragged down to the level of its caption.__  
>- James Thurber<em>

Deryn sat on the couch in the living room, chin in hand. Her arm was propped on the back of the couch as she stared over it to the desk where Alek sat.

Fifteen minutes before, she had been lounging comfortably on the couch sketching when Alek had come in and to ask if could borrow a piece of vellum from her art book. After she had given it to him he had retreated to a chair at the desk refusing to say what it was for.

He had been hunched over that desk for the last ten minutes scribbling and erasing furiously. It was making Deryn barking curious. She had even gotten up with some clart excuse about 'getting a drink of water' from the kitchen just so she would have a reason to pass by. That had resulted in Alek flattening himself comically over his work until she was seated on the couch once more.

Deryn shifted on the cushions, picking up her sketch book and charcoal sticks again. Alek would show her whatever it was that he was working on when he was finished and not a moment before.

Less than a minute later she was completely absorbed in sketching the newest clanker walker that had been printed in that morning's news paper. She didn't even notice that Alek had gotten up from his chair until a shadow fell across her book.

She looked up expectantly and he held out the page, grinning like mad.

Laying aside her book and charcoals Deryn took the paper. She frowned as she looked it over. What were those lumpy looking, misshapen ovals meant to be, rocks?

Finally she looked at him.

"Thanks for the sketch, Alek. But I'm a squick confused as to what it's supposed to be." She told him honestly.

Alek knelt by the couch and pointed to the pencil lines.

"They're potatoes, dummkopf." He said this as if it should have been dead clear what they were.

Deryn raised an eyebrow.

"Potatoes," She repeated disbelievingly. "They don't exactly _look_ like potatoes."

That was an understatement. They in no way resembled potatoes.

Alek looked slightly embarrassed.

"Well, I had wanted to draw a picture of you. But then I realized that my skills in that department were simply dreadful. So I drew you those potatoes instead because I know how much you love them."

Deryn looked from Alek to the drawing and then back again. Then she burst out laughing. She just couldn't help it. Only Alek could do something so adorably ridiculous.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the couch, she tucked the paper inside her art book and threw her arms around him.

"You are a hopeless prince, but you're _my_ hopeless prince." She whispered in his ear.

"And I do like it," She said pulling back to look him in the eye. "It's the first time anyone has ever drawn _me _something."

"Even if my potato sketches are unrecognizable?" Alek questioned with a teasingly smile, brushing his fingers along her cheek.

Deryn kissed him affectionately.

"Always." She promised. "You know, I may love potatoes but if I had to choose between them and you, it would be you every time. I can live without potatoes. I can't live without you."


	10. WW II

**Dalek week, Day 5: WWII  
><strong>**  
>They said it might be a good idea to writedraw your stuff out before Dalek week. I didn't and inspiration keeps biting me in the ass everyday ay the last minute. Go figure.**

**I found this one to be a bit tricky to write but it turned out alright in the end.**

**I know the 'war' related stuff is a bit hazy because I don't really know much about WW II and the political things that started it. And I didn't have time to read over the Leviathan books for any pointers on revisionist history wars either so I just did my own thing.**

_Better than a thousand hollow words,  
>is one word that brings peace.<em>  
><em>- Siddhartha Buddha<em>

_We've got to hold on ready or not  
>You live for the fight when it's all that you've got<br>Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear  
>Livin' on a prayer<br>- Livin on a Prayer, Bon Jovi_

The office was dimly lit by two identical desk lamps. It hadn't been used very much in the past few months. This was a rare occasion that found them both in London.

Deryn and Alek were diplomats like Dr. Barlow and often spent months at a time travelling on assignments. Those assignments had become more and more frequent in the past year. Trouble was brewing in Europe and had been for a while. And though some countries wanted to avoid another war others were spoiling for a fight. War seemed inevitable no matter how thin the world's diplomats were spread.

Only a few months before, Alek had been sent to Istanbul in an attempt to sort things out. At the same time, Deryn had been sent to America. It had been several months before either of them saw each other again.

Deryn had been back in London a week now. Alek had arrived two days before.

Already they were elbow deep in paper work and official looking documents.

It never seemed to end.

Trying to orchestrate world peace was dead exhausting and there were hundreds of others in the same situation spread out across the city.

Every one of them kept late hours at their offices, got little sleep, travelled endlessly, and drank large amounts of coffee in order to work those late night hours.

Alek rubbed his eyes tiredly and glanced at the clock on his desk. It was two-thirty in the morning. He'd felt fatigue set in hours before and knew Deryn was feeling the same.

He saw her eyelids droop and she jerked awake when the pencil she had been using to make notes fell from her hand onto the desk.

Alek stood and switched off his desk lamp. Deryn's desk faced his and was only a few feet away.

He walked around and stood behind her.

"Liebe,"He said, his hands massaging her shoulders. "Why don't we stop for the night?"

She turned her chair to face him; the dark circles beneath her eyes matching his.

"That sounds barking grand but I really need to finish these." She gestured to the stack of papers that had been pushed to one side of the desk.

Alek pulled her to her feet.

"It will do no good if you make a mistake because you fell asleep while writing."

Deryn nodded, feeling the stress of the last few months catch up with her all at once. Before she realized it, her arms were wrapped around Alek tightly and her face was buried in his shoulder. He felt her shaking and thought it was from exhaustion but as he felt the shoulder of his shirt dampen he realized she was crying.

"What is it, Deryn?" He asked, concern filling his voice. "What's wrong?"

She took a shuddery breath before answering.

"I'm scared, Alek." She whispered.

He held her tightly and felt his own eyes begin to prickle.

"I know, liebe. So am I."

He could feel her shaking her head.

"The whole world's going barking mad _again_. And there's nothing we can do to stop it."

He stroked her hair comfortingly.

"The future is not set in stone, Deryn. This war may not happen."

"But what if it does," She choked. "I don't know if I could handle another one."

Alek sighed, resting his cheek against her hair.

"Then we face it just as we have faced everything else; together."

Deryn swallowed hard, her fists clenched tightly in Alek's shirt.

"What happens while we're waiting?" She asked.

"We hope."


	11. Obsessions: 1

**Dalek week, Day 6: Obsessions.**

**Oh, Deryn, you and your potatoes.**

**Takes place in modern day.**

_Moderation__ is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess._

_- Oscar Wilde_

Alek stared at the bags in disbelief. He should have known this would happen.

Deryn had come in from grocery shopping only a few minutes before and Alek had been curious to see what she had gotten. Nothing had prepared him for the sight that met his eyes.

He began unloading the purchases one at a time, piling them all onto the kitchen table.

This was turning out to be worse than he'd ever imagined and he vowed then and there to never let Deryn do the shopping again, at least not without him present. 

Once every single bag was empty he stepped back and took it all in.

There wasn't a single thing on the table that wasn't potato related.

Just when he was about to go searching for Deryn and demand an explanation she walked into the kitchen whistling cheerfully.

She didn't even glance his way as she opened the pantry and began to shelf the overabundance of potatoes.

"Deryn," Alek's voice interrupted as she was placing some instant mashed potato packets in the cupboard.

"Yes?"

"What is all of this?" He demanded, gesturing to the table.

"I went shopping." She said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world and Alek thought she might have missed the point of his question.

"You've bought nothing but potato products." He pointed out.

"I know," She looked rather giddy, like a child at Christmas. "Everything was on sale."

Alek crossed his arms.

"I find that hard to believe."

"Well, almost everything." She amended with a winning smile.

He heaved a sigh of someone who'd had to put up with these kinds of things before.

"Liebe, some of us require a greater variety of food than that."

"I know," She walked to the table and began shifting things about. "I just couldn't resist."

She displayed a bag of crisps triumphantly.

Alek found himself rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"Of course those were in sale. Look at the flavor; chocolate and chilies."

"You never know," Deryn said defensively. "They could be barking delicious."

Alek walked over and pried the bag from her hand.

"I think you're taking your obsession to an unhealthy level."

Deryn glared at him and snatched the crisps back, hugging them lovingly to her chest.

"Never come between a Scottish girl and her potatoes, Alek." She warned.

Alek sighed. It was going to be a long day.


	12. Generations

**My entry for Dalek Week, Day 7: Generations.**

**I can't believe Dalek Week is over already. I almost didn't take part in it but I'm glad I did. I've had so much fun writing all these chapters.**

**I wrote 5,052 words in fan fiction this week! I have amazed myself.  
><strong>

_Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up from deep within a child.  
>~ Joan Almon<em>  
><em>*<em>

Family reunions with the Sharp clan were always something to remember. Mischief seemed to follow them like a plague and never could a gathering pass without something memorable occurring.

The holiday season of nineteen o eight was one that Deryn and Jaspert would always remember. It had been the year their Uncle's dogs had gotten into the kitchen and eaten the Christmas goose. Then there was the summer of nineteen eleven. Their Aunt Amelia, who had been very pregnant at the time, had gone into labor at the dinner table. The most recent incident had taken place the previous summer when Jaspert's youngest, Oliver, had brought in the hedgehog he'd caught. It had gotten away from him in the house and caused equal parts terror and delight as they'd all tried to catch it. And those were some of the more mild family adventures.

Three days into a weeklong get-together and, overlooking small incident with a spider in the kitchen, things were flowing smoothly. It was like the calm before a storm. There hadn't been a family gathering spared yet and bets being placed as to whether or not the summer of nineteen thirty would go down in infamy as well.

This year's gathering was at Mrs. Sharp's house and the living room was full of family members. Deryn and Alek, who had only just arrived that afternoon, where sitting on the couch talking with Jaspert and his wife, Abigail.

It was sometime during a conversation about the newest airships that Deryn happened to look out the window in to the back yard.

She could see Jaspert's children playing some sort of game with their many cousins. They were all dressed in mismatched outfits. Ma said she had let them play in the attic the day before. They'd had a grand time when they'd found boxes of old clothes and had been playing dress up ever since.

She frowned and stood, stepping closer to the window. Suddenly her eyes widened in amazement.

"Is that my _wedding _dress?" Her incredulous voice seemed to echo in the suddenly quiet room.

The long awaited event had finally happened.

Heads turned in unison toward the window that overlooked the back yard.

With a sinking feeling, Mrs. Sharp suddenly remembered that along with the all the old clothes in the attic there had also been a few things from Deryn and Alek's wedding ten years before; Deryn's dress included.

"Barking bloody hell." Jaspert swore extravagantly as he went after Abigail who had already run to the kitchen and out the back door. It was their oldest, nine-year old Annabeth, who was wearing the dress.

Alek laid a hand on Deryn's arm.

"Perhaps you should intervene, liebe." He gestured out the window where Jaspert and his wife were about to give their daughter the worst scolding of her live.

By the time Alek and Deryn reached the back yard Annabeth was in tears. She flung herself on Deryn as soon as she saw her.

"I'm sorry, Auntie Deryn." She sobbed. "I didn't know it was your wedding dress."

She knelt and hugged the young girl. Then, holding her at arm's length, she had a proper look at the dress. It was muddy at the bottom and there were grass stains on the front.

She shook her head, smiling gently.

"Oh, Annabeth, it's only a dress."

Abigail then gave her son a push and he slowly walked towards Deryn, one hand held behind him.

"I'm sorry too, Auntie Deryn."

She reached out and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"What did _you _do?" She asked.

Slowly he pulled his hand from behind his back. In it was her veil, torn and soaking wet.

"I had it in the creek."He confessed. "I was using it as Kraken net."

Deryn threw her head back and laughed loudly at this. Then she put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Don't you worry yourselves about any of this. It's only a bunch of cloth and lace."

Alek shook his head in amazement. Deryn was the only woman who would say that about her wedding dress.

She nudged Annabeth under the chin with her finger.

"It's nothing to cry all those tears over."

She stood, brushing the dirt from the knees of her pants and grinned mischievously.

"Besides, hasn't your Da ever told you about the time he and I took your grandma's best lace table cloth for butterfly nets?"

There was a chorus of laughter from the surrounding family members and the children's eyes widened.

"You did?" They both asked, eyes shining as they turned eagerly toward their father.

Jaspert winced as he remembered.

"Aye, you should have seen Ma's face when she caught us. I thought she was going to kill us both right here in the back yard."

Mrs. Sharp shook her head, smiling indulgently. The past was the past now.

Annabeth turned back to Deryn and tugged on her sleeve.

"Can I still wear the dress, then?"

"Aye," She said with a smile. "You can still wear the dress."

She jerked a thumb over her shoulder at Alek.

"I have what matters the most."


	13. Obsessions: 2

**I've been wanting to write a second chapter to obsessions because if Alek has to deal with Deryn's obsessions then I think it's only fair that she should have to deal with his.**

**On a random note, here are a few interesting things I learned/learned about yesterday: Red Vines, Chameleon Circuits, The Oxford Comma, Initialism vs. Acronym, King Henry Died Monday Drinking Chocolate Milk, Venn Diagrams, and that there is a soda machine in Singapore that will give drinks if you hug it. **

"_Calendars are for careful people, not passionate ones."  
>- Chuck Sigars<em>

Deryn bit in to a carrot stick, chewed for a few moments, and then frowned. Her eyes narrowed as she nudged the curtain covering the kitchen window aside with a finger. She stared out in to the yard for a few moments before letting the fabric fall back into place.

A few seconds later she repeated the action. Then she sighed.

Alek was in the back yard tinkering with one of his many mechanikal projects, blissfully unaware of the fact that he was being watched.

He seemed to think that their backyard was his own personal storage space for all things mechanikal and brought in something new every week.

Nearly every inch of the lawn was covered in spare parts and Deryn had decided that it was time she had a talk with Alek. After all, she was only returning the favor. She had followed the dietary advice he had given her only the week before; hence the carrot she was currently chewing.

She picked up the bottle of salad dressing off the counter top, tipped it sideways, and dipped another carrot into it. Alek, being Alek, always told her to use a bowl when he saw her doing that, though today it was a fight that would have to barking wait until later. Deryn thought he should just be happy she was eating something besides potatoes.

Her bare feet slapped on the cool tile as she crossed to the back door. She grappled with the knob momentarily, hands full, but did manage to avoid spilling salad ingredients all over the back porch.

Once she had her feet planted firmly in the soft grass she grimaced. The yard always seemed worse to Deryn when she was actually standing in it.

There was a metallic clang from the Stormwalker that was crouched in front of her and Alek's head and shoulders appeared out the top hatch. He had on a pair of mechanik's coveralls and there was a smear of grease across his nose.

His eyes fell on her and he smiled.

"It's almost finished." He said proudly.

Deryn had to smile back. His enthusiasm was catching; he was like a child at Christmas.

"That's barking grand, Alek." She said. "Really, it is. What about the rest of the yard, though?"

He looked confused.

"What about it?"

She gestured around her with the bag of carrots. There were mechanikal parts strewn everywhere; walkers, pieces of walkers, a few runabouts, and a golf walker, not to mention the Stormwalker he was currently working on.

The patio had been liberally cluttered with boxes of glow plugs, spare gears, wires, and other odds and ends that Deryn couldn't identify.

"What about it?" He repeated.

Deryn rolled her eyes.

"Don't you think you should clean this up a wee bit; maybe throw some of them out?"

Alek looked momentarily horrified at the thought and disappeared into the walker, the hatch clanging noisily behind him. A few seconds later he dropped out the belly hatch and descended the chain ladder.

"Throw them out? Every one of them is a work in progress." Alek defended valiantly as he approached. "I almost had the golf walker working last week."

"Aye," Deryn agreed. "Then one of the sodding legs fell off."

Alek crossed his arms, indignant. "I said _almost_."

"Yes, but then you managed to lose the barking leg on top of that." She pointed out.

Alek stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"It's just a leg, how far could it have gone?

Deryn tried a different tactic.

"The neighbors are starting to complain. They think we're either running some sort of junk yard – or preparing for a barking invasion, Alek."

His eyes narrowed in concentration and Deryn could almost see the gears in his head turning. She dug a toe into the dirt as she waited to hear whatever idea he was thinking up.

"I've got it. We'll put up a fence." He smiled as if he'd just announced the solution for world peace.

Deryn rolled her eyes.

"Barking brilliant, Alek," She deadpanned. "We can hide this scrap yard behind a nine foot privacy fence and the neighbors will be none the wiser."

Alek's green eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Never come between an Austrian man and his mechaniks." He told her teasingly.

***The golf walker is from one of Julia456's DALEK week entries; obsessions I do believe.**


End file.
